Sports round-up: Wins in basketball and football, but Leclerc disqualified from Texas GP

After a promising start to the weekend for Monegasque sport, it closed on a bitter note, with Monaco export and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc being disqualified from the Austin Grand Prix.

AS MONACO FOOTBALL

AS Monaco secured a 2-1 win over Metz at the Stade Louis II on Sunday, which puts the Rouge et Blancs firmly back in first place in the Ligue 1 standings; a status they take away from local rivals Nice.

The day belonged to Aleksandr Golovin, who scored both of Monaco’s goals. The first was a top corner stunner at 42 minutes in and the second was off a free kick after 55 minutes. Metz’s only point came four minutes into the game by the talented Mohamed Camara, who scored from an astounding 50 metres away.

*Player of the night, Aleksandr Golovin. Photo credit: AS Monaco Foot*

Philipp Köhn’s cool head and fast reflexes prevented any other ball crossing the line, despite several attempts, including a brilliant diving save on a strike from Metz’s Benjamin Tetteh and a deflect from a drive by Kevin Van Den Kerkhof.

“Metz are a good team, which plays very well in transition and with the ball,” said Coach Adi Hütter before the game. “The coach, Laszlo Bölöni, is also experienced. But we are favourites and we have to show it during this match. We will have a very good team on the pitch and we want to win, but we respect this team a lot.”

*Les Diagonales celebrate their win. Photo credit: AS Monaco Foot*

AS MONACO BASKETBALL

After a strong showing against Alba Berlin last Friday, the Roca Team continued their winning streak with a 83-67 victory against SIG Strasbourg in the Betclic Elite on Sunday.

The match wasn’t entirely smooth sailing, as Saša Obradović’s men struggled in the second quarter, before picking up steam in the second half at the away fixture.

Terry Tarpey had a stellar game, scoring 20 points for his side. Matthew Strazel had a good showing as well, adding 13 points toward the win, with Donatas Motiejūnas and Alpha Diallo scoring 11 points each.

“It’s a great victory, I felt comfortable on the pitch,” said Tarpey after the game. “It’s my best match for AS Monaco, and that makes me happy. I have worked a lot with the assistant coaches in recent weeks. It’s work that pays off in the end. For me personally, it feels like the season starts today, and I hope to continue on this path.”

*The Roca Team have continued their winning streak. Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket*

FORMULA 1

The United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas was won by the near unstoppable Max Verstappen, which came as a surprise to almost no one. But the shock factor was present thanks to the post-race disqualifications of Charles Leclerc, who placed sixth after a start in pole, and Lewis Hamilton, who had nabbed the second place spot.

Both drivers’ cars were found to have “irregularities” following the race. According to the official report, “The skids located in the area -825 ≥ XR ≥ – 1025 are found to be not in compliance with Article 3.5.9 e of the 2023 Formula One Technical Regulations.”

An FIA statement confirming the decision said Mercedes and Ferrari had acknowledged their respective breach was “probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimised the time to set up and check the car before the race”.

The disqualifications meant that McLaren’s Lando Norris moved up to second and Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz took third.

*From a start in pole to a sixth place finish and ultimately disqualification, the Austin GP did not end how Leclerc and Ferrari had been hoping. Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre*

RUGBY

And then there were two…

The Rugby World Cup saw a heartbreaking loss for England as the South African Springboks beat them by a single point on Saturday at the Stade de France.

Monaco’s Princess Charlene was on hand to cheer on her native team, who beat their opponents 16-15 in a rainy match that saw replacement Handré Pollard land a penalty from near the halfway line to secure the win.

“It was a big moment, but it is what you want as a player on this stage, to have moments like that as a fly half is what you live for,” said Pollard after the match.

Now they will face the other semi-final victors, New Zealand, in the final this coming Saturday at 9pm.

For their part, New Zealand handily beat out Argentina in a 44-6 rout on Friday, setting the All Blacks up to make history. If they secure the win in the finals, they will be the only team to have won four World Cup titles.

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Main photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre